WASHINGTON, November 3, 2026 — Today is Election Day, and I’m as optimistic about this election as I’ve been in any in my 23 years of working in politics and advocacy. I’m not just optimistic because I think our supported candidates are going to do well, I’m optimistic because I think meaningful change is coming.
Richard Lazarus chairs EDF’s legal and regulatory committee, and I’ve heard him report on the work that committee advises on on a handful of occasions. His reports aren’t just brilliant, they’re also engaging and very funny – it’s no wonder he’s a beloved professor at Harvard Law. After delivering a report on the meaningful ways EDF is engaging in legal fights, never failing to place them in context and explaining why they matter, on a couple of occasions Professor Lazarus has reminded us that there are limits to how much we can gain in court, and that if we want more meaningful change, we have to change the composition of who is in office. Or, to borrow a line I’ve been thinking about since Roy Cooper, North Carolina’s former Governor who I hope and expect will be elected to the U.S. Senate later this evening put it, “Sometimes the policy’s gotta follow the politics.”
The politics right now seem to be turning a corner. President Trump’s abysmal performance ratings for dealing with high prices are an anchor that have dragged down not just his own broader approval ratings but threaten the electoral chances of everyone who has supported his agenda, and create a difficult environment even for some who have not. Energy prices have shown up in a big way in this election. Recent polling EDF Action has done alongside other partners shows that energy costs are a top three concern for voters across battleground districts, trailing only groceries and gas. Importantly for our priorities, voters support leaning in on clean energy as part of an energy affordability agenda, because it is cheaper, faster and more reliable.
In the short run at the federal level, we’ll get a powerful check on the president’s power. The passage of his budget, which gutted clean energy tax credits, notwithstanding, this is a president who has largely not been interested in serious legislating. Most of what he’s been doing has been via executive action, and much of that has been beyond the boundaries of what is legal or appropriate. EDF has been a big part of pushing back against those excesses, via both the lawsuits it has engaged in and the records we’ve demanded under the Freedom of Information Act (I hope I’m the 6th or 7th person to commend you all to read this explosive NYT investigative piece. Help is on the way in the form of new accountability levers, including the ability to compel the President and his Cabinet to defend their actions under oath.
I’m also excited to see what new energy new governors will bring to their work. Xavier Becerra’s excitement about the free “power hours” of electricity in Australia in the middle of the day is a good example of how fresh faces will bring new thinking to longstanding challenges. Becerra is nearly certain to be elected as California’s next governor, although the state takes some time to count its ballots, so don’t be surprised if that race isn’t called right away.
For those of you eager to follow along at home tonight from a climate perspective, the EDF Action Votes team has written this short memo sharing not just what to expect, but when to expect it by. Please give it a read if you’re interested, and feel free to share it with friends and family. I think it’s a really great resource.
Finally, we haven’t just hoped for change, we’ve played an active role in delivering it. EDF Action Votes announced that they raised and spent over $17 million engaging in some of the closest races in the country, breaking our prior record for a non-presidential election year. Aside from support for champions like Kathy Castor and Brian Fitzpatrick, Votes’ work was marked by a strong focus on helping elect challengers to the U.S. House and Senate. Those candidates saw EDF Action show up for them, too, through EDF Action and EDF Action PAC’s grassroots efforts, which also set a record for participation in its third cycle, and which builds such palpable goodwill with the elected officials who see our staff and volunteers showing up in the field for them. It’s why I’m so excited that I’ll be on the ground in Arizona for the election, knocking doors and showing our priority candidates that I cared enough to take time to be there for them to personally pitch in.
We couldn’t do any of this work without you. It is a privilege to have an opportunity to make a difference. We have a meaningful opportunity tonight, and I’m humbled and grateful to you all for enabling us to do it. Thank you.